How do you stop thinking :) ?

Question

And sleep?

Good night! Again! And good morning! :)

Thank you for your answers! :)

Anon e Mouse - I did, but couldn't sleep.

Answer 1

I WISH I knew. One nice pill called Imovane (but only 3x a week so little risk of tolerance or dependence) and a nice glass of water for me. I have tried EVERYTHING. Medication is probably not a great answer, but I gotta sleep, so there ya go :-).

But, everyone is different...maybe these tips regarding sleep hygiene might help you turn off the brain and get some zzzzz's:

Try these suggestions if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep:

Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, even on the weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce your body's sleep-wake cycle and can help you fall asleep better at night.

Don't eat or drink large amounts before bedtime. Eat a light dinner about two hours before sleeping. If you're prone to heartburn, avoid spicy or fatty foods, which can make your heartburn flare and prevent a restful sleep. Also, limit how much you drink before bed. Too much liquid can cause you to wake up repeatedly during the night for trips to the bathroom.

Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol in the evening. These are stimulants that can keep you awake. Smokers often experience withdrawal symptoms at night, and smoking in bed is dangerous. Avoid caffeine for eight hours before your planned bedtime. Your body doesn't store caffeine, but it takes many hours to eliminate the stimulant and its effects. And although often believed to be a sedative, alcohol actually disrupts sleep.

Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can help you fall asleep faster and make your sleep more restful. Don't exercise within three hours of your bedtime, however. Exercising right before bed may make getting to sleep more difficult.

Make your bedroom cool, dark, quiet and comfortable. Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Adjust the lighting, temperature, humidity and noise level to your preferences. Use blackout curtains, eye covers, earplugs, extra blankets, a fan, a humidifier or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.

Sleep primarily at night. Daytime naps may steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to about a half-hour and make it during midafternoon. If you work nights, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight, which adjusts the body's internal clock, doesn't interrupt your sleep. If you have a day job and sleep at night, but still have trouble waking up, leave the window coverings open and let the sunlight help wake you up.

Choose a comfortable mattress and pillow. Features of a good bed are subjective and differ for each person. But make sure you have a bed that's comfortable. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two. Children and pets are often disruptive, so you may need to set limits on how often they sleep in bed with you.

Start a relaxing bedtime routine. Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down. This may include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music. Relaxing activities done with lowered lights can help ease the transition between wakefulness and sleepiness.

Go to bed when you're tired and turn out the lights. If you don't fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, get up and do something else. Go back to bed when you're tired. Don't agonize over falling asleep. The stress will only prevent sleep.

Use sleeping pills only as a last resort. Check with your doctor before taking any sleep medications. He or she can make sure the pills won't interact with your other medications or with an existing medical condition. Your doctor can also help you determine the best dosage. If you do take a sleep medication, reduce the dosage gradually when you want to quit, and never mix alcohol and sleeping pills. If you feel sleepy or dizzy during the day, talk to your doctor about changing the dosage or discontinuing the pills.

If you're having problems sleeping more than three times a week for a month's time, see your doctor.

The above from: www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/

I have just been to the doctor (a neurologist) regarding MY own sleep issues and she reiterated the importance of this health hygiene stuff above. I'm gonna give some of these suggestions another go...

My own ideas that mostly didn't work for me (but, might help distract you from "thinking" about all the pesky things keeping you awake):

Think only visually. Try and force auditory, verbal thinking out of your mind.

Try a nature CD and focus on the sounds.

Visualize your body, starting with your toes all the way to the top of your head getting heavy, adjust each body part for comfort and move up until you get to the top of your head....all the while focussing on the comfort of each body part and your breathing.

You can also try a natural sleep remedy: melatonin which can be purchased at any health food store. Might want to ask your doc about it first. Even "natural" products have risks and side effects.

Wishing you lots of sleep Moon! Lack of sleep as I know wayyyyyy too well can wreak havoc on your health and well-being. Hey, I've written so much here maybe you're getting a little sleepy already :-) :-).

Answer 2

Hi Moon. Hope you are getting lots of restful zzzzzs.
I sleep instantly Moon, never have a problem with falling asleep, sit down with a coffee if I am not doing something else as soon as my head hits the back rest I am asleep. Sleep when I want, easy. It is wanting to go to sleep that is the problem Lol. Lucky.

And what do you want to stop thinking for Moon? Do something physical. That will stop you thinking if you must but thinking is the nice bit of the day for me. Count the good stuff that has happened today. Any tiny little thing. You will soon be asleep. Night night Moon.

Answer 3

Well, you can die - or just let go and daydream, without reaction or response. It's a strange and wonderful country, full of unexpected wonders - but don't try to catch any of them by the tail. I think the mind just ticks over doing its own thing for its own reasons and its own good if you leave it alone to enjoy itself! But it becomes nervous and alarmed if it knows you're watching. I think it expects some Mother-voice to say "Junior - what are you doing? There's this to do and that to do, and have you done your homework". Very unsettling. Enough to make any mind bounce out of bed and start thinking about how it can get through the window without giving the game away or frightening the horses. Good night (save the wish up for when you need it)

Answer 4

once upon a time there was this guy who was so amazing to me, he might as well have been an angel who fell straight from the sky - an angel with a five inch tall mohawk and a great smile sent to make me laugh, teach me to loosen up, and let me know that i am loved....i was only able to be with him for a short time, then he joined the army and i never even got to say goodbye :( i think about him every day and hope that he's okay but i know he probably is okay, because after all he is an angel...

Answer 5

some say meditation works. i don't know for sure, i don't think you can ever really completely stop thinking, even when your sleeping your subconscious is really active. it might even be a bad thing to completely stop thinking, like you might get like brain damage or something for all we know.
however i do know of a way that is probably the closest to stopping your thoughts. drink a 1.75L bottle of bacardi 151 or as much as you can embibe, till you pass out, you won't remeber a thing, your brain will get a couple hours of numbness.....

Answer 6

same problem here. I finally had to get a notepad and put it on my night stand. Everytime a thought has popped up I write it down. I dont watch TV any more in my room (worst thing to do) and the things you are worried about during the morning try to figure out the best way to solve it or what you need to do about the thing you are thinking about. Write it down so you wont forget. Give yourself a time limit to resolve any issues. Ni Ni

Answer 7

I have insomnia that I am lucky to get 2 or 3 hours a night, and I do this until my body simply shuts down.
I have tried everything to sleep known to man, but it is not possible for some reason.
Good luck
Blessings and love,
Sassy

Answer 8

Haha.. You too? Me too. I am suffering for it today though. Seems to have taken 6 hours to clear my desk to start the week off..... and that's about all I think I will accomplish today. Too many answers yesterday and not enough exercise. Join the gym Moon and come and do some bench presses with me! If that wont make you sleep nothing will.

Answer 9

Went to a sleep specialist a few years ago because I couldn't fall asleep. She told me to think about going to your favorite restaurant.. think of the smells, the colors, the sounds.. then order your drink and take a sip... place your order... wait for your food... when your food comes smell it and taste it... getting sleepy yet? The trick is to use all of your senses. The only time this doesn't work for me is when I am really hungry.. then it just makes me hungrier..

All of those tricks that are like "count to a million" or "spell out a word in your mind over and over" never work for me. My mind has to stay busy until I fall asleep.

Answer 10

Haven't you heard of the day Mr. Potato head turned into a Sweet Potato?

He simply said:

"I think Therefore I Yam" and < Poof > he was one!

The only way to stop thinking is to become completely unconscious. By the way, you will still be thinking, but you won't be aware of it, so technically it doesn't count. The other way is to die of course, but I've done that in the arms of several young ladies in my youth and always came back to the vision of an angel! - sigh - Now of course, only my wife has that honor!

Answer 11

I start to play solitaire and get mindless. Or I go to Pogo or Slingo and play there for 20 or so minutes and am ready to call it a night.

If that doesn't work then You tube and I usually have seen enough videos and I am ready to hit the hay.

If this doesn't work I take an Ambien and within 20 minutes I am asleep.

Good Luck.